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Contents

BRITAIN IN BLOOMBERG
Welcome to your Spring
Gasette. This edition is always
synchronised to cover the CIPFA/
HM Treasury World Class
Performance Symposium. Hosted once again
by Bloomberg at their fabulous City offices, it
featured the array of star speakers, which has
now come to be expected of the event. Read
the reports on pages 8–9, or if you couldn't
attend this year why not watch the recording
on the CIPFA website (see www.cipfa.org).
Also in this edition we interview HM
Treasury's new Finance Director Kirstin Baker
and find out what our two secondees at M&S
have been doing. There's also a report on the
GFP Award 2012 winners and the GFP
Business Fair recently hosted by DFID in East
Kilbride – our first one in Scotland.
After 25 editions as Editor of Gasette, it
certainly looks like this will be my last one. It
really has been a great pleasure to work with

the production team (Graham, Adam,
Polly and Tim) at Armstrong Media/PQ
magazine, as well as all the contributors
over the years. However, our biggest
thanks go to all the advertisers who
ensure that our magazine goes from
strength to strength without any
taxpayer funding.
Before I finally sign off, I've always
been impressed by the commitment
and professionalism of individual
members of the GFP community.
You've come in your hundreds to
support our conferences and events and
it's your enthusiasm that has made my
job pleasurable and all worthwhile.
Enough from me. Watch out for your
next Gasette interview with Phillip
Hammond and Jon Thompson.
Very best wishes,
Terry Rogers, Editor

Simply world
class – pages 8 & 9

CONTENTS

04
07

News

08

CIPFA/HMT World
Class Symposium

for a school visit
– and found the
experience a very
rewarding and
enjoyable one

Hot news from the GFP

Accountancy news
What’s happening with
your body? Find out here!

Our reporters cover the
major stories from the
recent conference

10
13

Cover story

14

Values Verus Violence

Kirstin Baker interview

Security
Cyber crime is a growth
business, so just how safe
is your network?
Mark Wilson volunteered

25

FM spotlight

26

On secondment

28

Trainee focus

CFOs have a part to play in
improving the efficiency of
government finance

16

GFP Awards 2012

18

Women in finance #1

21

Women in finance #2
How two women achieved
success in their career by
treading very different paths

29

Be resilient

22

Efficiency drive

30

Gasette quiz special

Meet the winners – and this
year it could be your turn!
A revealing international
survey from Ernst & Young
paints an interesting picture

Recruit more finance
experts, says CIMA

Working at Marks &
Spencer – an update
Top tips for
trainees on how
to best prepare
for those allimportant exams
How you can develop this
valuable characteristic
Test your brain power, plus
our prize picture anagram

DFID hosts the GFP in Scotland
THE DEPARTMENT for International
Development (DFID) was delighted
to host the GFP for its inaugural
Scottish Business Fair on 16 and 17
January 2013.
The event was well attended
with delegates from DFID’s
professional and trainee finance
teams and many other government
departments including the Scottish
Government, Transport Scotland,
the Ministry of Justice and HMRC.
DFID chose the theme of
‘Finance at the centre of decision
making’, and the programme
agenda was developed with the
help of HM Treasury, who sourced
professional speakers from PwC,
Deloitte, HM Treasury, Hays and
Kaplan, together with the leading
accountancy institutes.
The speakers explored a wide

The MoD’s George Henes with
the Finance team’s coveted ‘PQ’

Double win
range of topics. These included the
capabilities and skills that will be
required of government finance
professionals in the future, tools to
measure and benchmark financial
management maturity, and how
finance functions can move
towards being effective strategic
business partners. With sessions on

leadership and mentoring, current
trends around fraud and
corruption, and a technical IFRS
update, the programme was given
the thumbs-up by attendees.
Attendees at this free event also
collected CPD points, and enjoyed
what was an invaluable networking
opportunity.

Public sector reporting top of G20 agenda
The International Public Sector Accounting Standards
Board has welcomed the G20 Finance Ministers’ and
Central Bank Governors’ decision to address
‘transparency and comparability of public sector
reporting’. The IMF and World Bank have been called
on to explore the issue and provide appropriate
updates, declaring that “strengthening the public sector

New GFP
appointment
We welcome Gillian Crooks, whom
Richard Douglas has appointed to
help develop the GFP. Gillian’s role
is Senior HR Business Partner for
the Government Finance
Profession. Gillian (pictured) is on
secondment from HMRC where,
prior to work on business and

balance sheet is needed to better assess risks to public
debt sustainability”.
The IPSASB has been setting standards for financial
reporting of governments since 2011. Currently, it has
published a complete suite of 32 standards for the
accrual basis of accounting, as well as one cash basis
standard for countries preparing to move to accruals.

culture change, she was previously
the Deputy Director responsible for
developing and delivering
the Tax Professionalism
programme for HMRC,
starting at the merger of
Customs and the
Revenue and culminating
in the launch of the Tax
Academy.
Over the next 12 months Gillian
will be ensuring that our HR

practice covering the FTP areas is
exemplary and fully aligned with
Civil Service Reform ambitions.
Gillian’s early priorities include
reviewing the ambition for
the profession, SCS talent
management and
succession planning. Gillian is
meeting with a range of internal
and external stakeholders both to
build her knowledge of the
profession and the wider context.

THE OFFICE OF THE GFP PRESENTS...
THE TRAINING
EVENT:
BRIGHTON
METROPOLE
6th & 7th NOVEMBER
For more details go to
www.thegfp-treasury.org
04 theGASETTE

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

THE MoD’S CORPORATE Finance &
Military Capability Team has won
the double. We know it walked off
with the Finance Team of the Year
title at the GFP awards last year. But
what you probably didn’t know
was that early this year it beat the
likes of Innocent and PwC’s ACCA
team to win the PQ magazine
Accountancy Team of the Year
award. Keep an eye on the official
website for categories and rules for
entry to the 2013 GFP awards. All
we need is 250 words explaining
why your ‘nominee’ should be one
of our winners – you can meet all
of last year’s victors on page 16. To
find out how to enter see
www.thegfp-treasury.org.

A day in the life
of Katie Tillyer...

“AS A YEAR 11 student with
many important decisions
ahead of me, I was very
excited to spend a day with
the GFP. I learnt a lot about
the Treasury and other
departments by attending a
meeting and speaking to
staff. I found that working
for the government provides
many more options than I’d
anticipated and that
department mobility means
work can be tailored towards
your interests. I really
enjoyed my day and would
definitely consider pursuing
a career in the civil service.”
spring 2013

Leaders In CenTraL
GovernmenT FInanCe
reCruITInG experTIse
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest suppliers of staff to the public sector, and leaders in
central government finance.
With strong relationships across government departments, agencies and non
departmental bodies and a team of 300 specialist public sector consultants we
are experts at matching the right person with the right job.
Our deep understanding of government finance means people trust us with
their careers and departments trust us to find the right talent.
For more information in how we can help you,
contact Kyle Tombleson on 020 7259 8747 or
email kyle.tombleson@hays.com

hays.co.uk

Innovative leadership calls for the
diverse perspectives of both women and
men. And not just in the boardroom.
Despite constituting a significant part of the overall public sector
workforce, women remain woefully under-represented at the top
table. In only four countries across the G20 do women occupy even
a third of the public sector leadership roles.
Our Worldwide Index of Women as Public Sector Leaders highlights
issues of gender equity at senior leadership levels in the public
sector. Most governments are aware of the benefits of promoting a
more balanced gender mix in their leadership ranks and are actively
advancing policies to address the gender deficit. But, as our Index
shows, there are still many challenges to be addressed.
We welcome a global conversation about the policies, measures and
role models that are needed to promote and retain the female talent
that abounds in the public sector.

Women Public Sector Leaders

Canada
45%

ÂŠ 2013 EYGM Limited. All Rights Reserved. EYG no. FK0027

UK
35%
France
21.4%

USA
31%

Saudi
Arabia
0%

Brazil
32.1%

China
11.5

Japan
2.5%
S.Korea
8.6%

India
7.7%

Indonesia
8.7%

High

Argentina
19%

Turkey
13.6%

Italy
27%

Mexico
14%
% Women Public
Sector Leaders

Russia
13%

Germany
14.5%

Australia
37%
S.Africa
33.8%

Low

To find out more, including information on our Worldwide Women Public Sector
Leaders Network, visit ey.com/government/womenleaders.

Accountancy news

AAT

CIMA

ICAEW

PQ OF THE YEAR WINNER

RECORD YEAR FOR RECRUITMENT

NOT BEAN-COUNTING NERDS!

Liina Pukk, an AAT Level 4
student from Surrey, has
claimed the coveted PQ of
the Year Award 2013. Pukk,
pictured, scooped the prize at the annual
PQ magazine awards evening held in London on
Monday 4 February.
Profoundly deaf and
communicating
through sign
language, she
studied AAT at
Kingston College in
London. Pukk is
extremely deserving
of this award having
overcome physical obstacles to pursue a career
in finance. Every year PQ magazine recognises
those within the accountancy and finance sector
who have gone above and beyond or who have
achieved remarkable feats. The awards cover a
range of categories including distance learner,
accountancy college and accountancy team of
the year.

CIMA has announced
record growth figures for
2012 as the institute’s
global footprint continues
to expand. More than 29,000 new students
joined CIMA last year, taking the total
population of students and members to over
200,000. CIMA enjoyed massive growth in new
and emerging markets. A record number of new
students in Poland and Russia chose CIMA,
while Bangladesh and Ukraine saw an increase
of 303% and 235% respectively. Nigeria’s
new student numbers almost doubled in
2012. The institute’s core markets also
grew significantly with record
numbers of new students and
members in the UK and Sri Lanka,
and record numbers of students
signing up in South Africa and
Malaysia. CIMA MD Andrew Harding
said: “We have once again seen
exceptional growth figures as ambitious school
leavers, graduates and professionals identify
CIMA as the global qualification that will best
support their career ambitions.”

More needs to be done to counter
the idea that accountancy is boring,
says ICAEW President Mark
Spofforth. He is concerned that new
research shows that graduates think
the profession offers little intellectual stimulus
and makes no contribution to society. He
explains: “Accountants are not seen as ethical or
associated with sustainability issues and are
dismissed as bean-counting nerds.” Research
among the eight top-class
universities in the UK found
77% of final year students
had never considered a
career in accountancy.
Spofforth stresses that
students’ perceptions are
shaped most strongly by
work experience and
internships. “So views about
auditing being a dull, deskbound job disappear when they
go out on client visits and see that social
interaction is a crucial part of audit work,” he
claims. Interestingly, the research also discovered
that where one parent, especially mum, is an
accountant, then students are far more likely to
consider accountancy as a career.

ACCA

LEADERS NEED BROAD SHOULDERS

CIPFA

Tomorrow’s CFOs will need to have
broad knowledge across all areas of
the finance value chain, from
strategy to performance
measurement, reporting, risk, assurance and
compliance. A new report from the ACCA
stresses that finance leaders of the future will
need these skills in order to be able to ask the
right questions and ensure the businesses they
work for are on the right track. ACCA CEO
Helen Brand explained that the research shows
that recruiters are looking to appoint the
complete finance professional, and seek out
newly qualified accountants who have both the
breadth and depth of skills. She stressed that
more than 80% of the CFOs surveyed felt it was
critical that their accountants understand the
finance value chain and how it all fits together.
Brand added: “The finance team has to meet
the challenges posed by a post-crisis global
economy which is
increasingly volatile,
complex and
competitive. Given the
breadth of financial
activities that finance
leaders are now
engaged in, it is hardly
surprising that they are
looking to recruit
employees with a
Helen
broad range of skills
Brand
and understanding.”

NEW QUALIFICATION FOR UN STAFF

spring 2013

ICAS

SALARIES UNDER PRESSURE
Courses began last month to train over 150
United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) staff from nearly 50 countries in an
international qualification from CIPFA, helping
one of the UN’s largest agencies to cultivate
development spending around the world. This
accountancy
qualification is the first
in the world to be
based on International
Public Sector
Accounting Standards
(IPSAS), standards that
improve transparency
and accountability in
public financial
management and also allow for greater
comparability between countries and public
sector bodies. The qualification, dealing with
public services, has been designed to meet the
needs of all public sector finance staff from entry
level to full professional. At the end of the
qualification successful students will be entitled
to become full members of CIPFA and add CPFA
(Chartered Public Finance Accountant) after their
name. Tuition will be provided in three
languages – English, French and Spanish – with
Kaplan Financial acting as CIPFA’s tuition partner
for the English language students.

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

Accounting salaries are
under pressure with pay
freezes even more
common than they were a year ago, according
to the CA Salary Survey 2012/13. To counter this
freeze many organisations are extending the
range of benefits they offer. The
survey found that the median
salary for a manager (qualified
Scottish CA) in an accountancy
firm ranged from just over
£40,000 to £60,000, depending
on the size of the practice. As a
manger in industry a CA can
command between £31,000 and
£40,000 (in a small business) and
up to £70,000 in a publicly listed company. Ian
Wilkinson of recruitment specialist Wilkinson &
Associates said: “This is no surprise, given where
the economy is right now, and we can expect to
see more of the same next year.” The survey
points up the differences in the way men and
women view equality, with 70% of male
respondents believing ‘opportunities are equal’
for men and women within accountancy, while
only 38% of female CAs agreed with the
statement. Just one in four female CAs polled
agreed, however, that gender quotas should be
applied to company boards.

theGASETTE 07

World Class Performance Symposium

Understanding

the numbers
Three economists give their personal perspective of the UK
economy and what needs to happen to get it going again

Jonathan Portes:
‘The cheque is in the post’
THE MOST surprising thing about the Budget
2013 for economist Jonathan Portes was that
“there was no economic significance at all to
it”. He was, however, a little critical about what
he saw as the manipulation of the borrowing
figures. In 2011-12, the UK borrowed £121bn,
and this year it was down to £120.9bn. But, if
you drill down the budget papers (4.118/119)
you discover that we simply haven’t paid our
bills. “We have told the UN, World Bank and
other international institutions that the cheque
is in the post,” he ventured. Portes suggested
that this is not the sort of step change in
financial management we are hoping for!
He went on to say that it is irrelevant to talk
about double and triple-dip recessions. We have
had two and a half years of economic
stagnation, and any recovery that is’ happening’
is the slowest in recorded economic history.
What is really depressing Portes is the rate of
growth, currently estimated to be 0.6% in
2013. That is pretty dismal and not enough to
improve public finances. The debt is also set to
rise until 2016 and 2017, but flatten out in
2018. That means deficit reduction has ‘stalled’.
Portes pointed out that in 2010 the deficit
came down because the government increased
taxes and cut investment.
What explains recent UK economic
underperformance is clear for Portes:
• Fiscal policy – predictable results, cutting too

08 theGASETTE

quickly was economically a ‘significant mistake’.
• Continued dysfunction of the financial sector.
• Hit by commodity process/imported inflation.
• Euro zone – self-defeating austerity.
He pointed to the fact that in 2010 the
Chancellor said he would have tackled the
structural deficit in four years. “He has stuck to
that and in 2013 it is still four years!”
For Portes, what has been really missing is the
importance of investment spending. Investment
stimulus in 2008 helped the UK reduce the
depth of the recession, but in mid-2010 “it fell
off the cliff”. While the Chancellor has put up
£3bn into infrastructure spending he believes
we should be ‘investing’ more like £30bn.
Pointing to other plans he said that no one is
left defending muddling through, but that is
what we have got.
• Jonathan Portes, Director, National Institute for Economic and
Social Research. (See notthetreasuryviewblogspot.com)

Mariana Mazzucato:
‘Credit where credit’s due’
Mariana Mazzucato feels
it is time for rethink the
role of the state and start
to sell the good things it
does. She said Keynes
had the right idea when
he said that government
“must do things which at
present are not done at all”.
She felt that often government and Civil

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

Servants just don’t get the acknowledgement
they deserve. Large parts of the research and
development of the bio-tech and internet
industries, for instance, has been heavily funded
by government, she explained. She pointed out
that it is a myth that it is always the private
sector that is dynamic and creative.
She gave plenty of examples where they
simple come in after all the hard work has been
done to ‘make the profits’. “Government is
naive on the returns,” she said and emphasised
touch screen, GPS and voice activated
technology were all developed in public labs.
She also suggested that there is no evidence
that R&D tax credits will increase R&D in the
right areas. She revealed that Pfizer’s R&D facility
recently left Sandwich in Kent for Boston, where
it had been offered big public funding.
The US government’s health institute spends
in the region of £32bn a year on research. This
means that 75% of all new radical drugs current
come out of these government labs, not the
private ones.
Mazzucato, on a roll now, said that the UK’s
push for low tax and low regulation made it
sound more like a Third World Country.
She felt that the UK needs to put more value
in its Civil Service, in order to attract top talent.
Why, she asked, were departments paying
incompetent companies to do the exciting things
for which government personnel have the skills.
She said government digital services didn’t need
to be outsourced. Now that went down very
well with delegates!
• Mariana Mazzucato is Professor of Economics at the University
of Sussex

Ian Mulheirn: ‘We are
poorer than we thought’
There is little doubt for Ian Mulheirn that we
have an economy in stagnation, and we are all in
fact one-sixth poorer than what we expected to
be today. This is having a profound effect, and a
huge fallout for public services.
For many departments there is going to be a
productivity challenge and some tough choices
lie ahead. For him there are three big problems:
• We are poorer than we thought.
• Health spending is eating into all other areas of
public spending – it is rising by around 5% a
year.
• We live in an ageing society with rising state
pension costs.
That means even if you can raise productivity
in public services it seems implausible that doing
so could go far enough. For Mulheirn that
means universal services will come under threat.
It will be a basic choice between higher taxes or
dismantling the ring fence. And, this choice is no
more than 10 years away.
• Ian Mulheirn, Director, the Social Market Foundation

spring 2013

World Class Performance Symposium

Financial transformation

- a year of change
AN “AWFUL LOT of progress is
being made” – but there is still
plenty of work to be done. That
was the message to Government
Finance Professionals from GFP
boss Richard Douglas when he
gave a ‘one year on’ review at
CIPFA’s WCP. Describing progress in
the various strands of the Finance
Transformation Programme, now
under the auspices of the GFP’s
Financial Leadership Group,
Douglas outlined some of the
highlights which included:
• The Financial and Commercial
Awareness strand, led by the
Ministry of Justice’s D-G Finance
Ann Beasley, had road-tested a
new Civil Service Learning SCS
finance and commercial training
module at the MoJ and the
Department of Health. “The pilots
have been a great success,” said
Douglas. “This was central to
putting finance at the heart of
decision making for all civil

servants. My aim is for all SCS to
do this training.”
• A new Operating Model for
Finance, looking to share expert
best practice better, is being
developed, overseen by Howard
Orme, D-G Finance at BIS. It is
designed to balance the needs of
both central departments and
arm’s length bodies, said Douglas.

• In terms of Value for Money, the
focus post-Budget is on the 20152016 Spending Round. David
Williams (D-G Finance, Ministry of
Defence), has been working closely
with the Efficiency Reform Group
(ERG) while planning for the
spending review in June, and
embedding departmental
efficiency plans.

Douglas told delegates: “We are
working in very challenging
circumstances, delivering spending
controls while maintaining the
delivery of services. We have a long
way to go, but I believe we are
building firm foundations on which
to build.”
Douglas cited a Civil Service
World survey on attitudes to
finance. He said: “Some 53% of
those surveyed said they thought
finance was valued by senior
management, while 37% said
finance was a high priority. We
need to get these figures to
100%.” He added: “We also need
to develop better metrics, and to
this end the 17 largest
departments are committed to
implementing CIPFA’s Model for
assessing financial management.
This helps departments to improve
by giving benchmarks of relative
performance, and provides an
evidence base for where they are
doing well and not doing well.”
Douglas concluded by
challenging FPs. He said: “The
environment around us is always
changing and the challenge gets
greater every day. What we need
to ask ourselves is, are we going
far enough fast enough?”

Management insights: a confection
What are the leadership
behaviours that need to be
adopted to drive performance
from the top? Lord Browne
offered some insights
CUP HANDS, HERE comes Cadbury! Those of a
certain vintage will recognise the famous TV
advertising slogan of yore, but for Lord Browne
it was more a case of ‘clap hands, here comes
Cadbury’. He used the example of the giant
confectioner (along with that of US counterpart
Hershey) to illustrate his thoughts on driving
performance. He told delegates that the two
companies provided models of how to manage
incentives, set targets and lead effectively.
Regarding incentives, “pay and promotion are
only the beginning”, he said. “Most people
want to do a good job and to be appreciated.
Human beings like to be treated as human
beings.”
He added: “People will work hard if they are
proud about what they do and are thanked for

spring 2013

must be clear about their goals. They
it. I don’t believe Civil Servants are
need to know where they are headed,
thanked enough for what they do by
why they are headed there, and the part
their managers and masters.”
they must play in the journey.”
He cited the example of Hershey:
Leaders must sometimes take big
“If they paid a 20% dividend to
personal risk. Lord Browne told
shareholders then they would pay
delegates that in 1997 he accepted the
staff a 20% bonus.” This sent a signal
danger of climate change – at the time
to staff that they were valued and
he was head of one of the world’s
respected, said Lord Browne.
biggest fossil fuel companies. “It was a
On targets, the former BP Chair
risk, but it put BP on the right side of
believed they were “now treated with
Lord Browne
the argument,” he told delegates.
suspicion”. This was often because
Small acts of leadership can have big
clear, achievable targets were not set, he said.
consequences, too. For over 50 years, said Lord
Those at the top should “make clear what you
Browne, George Cadbury took Sunday school
want - and then let staff achieve it. But the
classes for adults. He did this without fanfare,
target must be a meaningful one that can be
but it demonstrated both his commitment to his
measured. At Cadbury this led to individual staff
employees and great leadership qualities. Civil
being paid by results.” This went against the
Service leaders can learn from his example, said
grain of collective wage agreements, he said,
Lord Browne – if they want the sweet taste of
but sent a message of “real and lasting
success.
credibility” about the management.
However, Lord Browne was quick to point out
• Lord Browne was BP Group Chief Executive from 1995-2007.
that heads of organisations must show real
He is the Government’s lead non-executive director and member
leadership. “Direction is important, and people
of the ERG, and a cross-bench member of the House of Lords

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

theGASETTE 09

Interview

Making
experience

count
Kirstin Baker, the new Finance and Commercial
Director at HMT, tells Gasette about her career
to date and the challenges that lie ahead
AS A RELATIVELY small policy-focused
department, the Treasury’s key strength is its
staff. Exposed to a wide variety of situations and
tasks, the best develop an all-round expertise
that enables them to switch seamlessly between
roles.
Kirstin Baker is the epitome of this all-rounder.
Now responsible for overseeing the Treasury’s
finances and corporate services and a member
of the Treasury Board, she has deep reserves of
experience including working as a senior policy
official in the Treasury, heading the team
responsible for co-ordinating public spending,
and managing many of HMT’s interventions in
individual banks in the wake of the 2008 crisis.
Her almost 20-year career in the Civil Service
was recently interrupted by a year’s maternity
leave; she returned to the fold in January to her
new position to replace Julian Kelly, who is now
Director, Public Spending, at HMT.

COMPETITON POLICY
“I’m lucky in that I’ve done lots of different
things,” Baker told Gasette. “Initially, I joined the
Foreign Office, focusing on Europe. Working for
the European Commission I specialised in
competition policy and led on some big
decisions on airline alliances. I also worked in the
European Secretariat in the Cabinet Office,
co-ordinating EU policy within the UK.
“Gradually, over time, I worked more on
financial and economic issues. I was interested in
working at the Treasury and got the opportunity
to come over on secondment to project-manage
the 2004 Spending Review. I really enjoyed it
and wanted to stay in Treasury. I then worked in
corporate finance and became Head of General
Expenditure Policy, developing expertise in
public spending and acting as a key adviser to
10 theGASETTE

ministers on the
management of the
public finances.”
The most turbulent
time in Baker’s career –
and one with the most
pressure and the
steepest learning curve
– was to follow. She
explains: “By 2008 I
was looking for a new
challenge. I became
Head of the Northern
Rock Shareholding
Team, just after the
nationalisation of the
bank. I thought it was
going to be an
interesting if relatively
quiet job. Over the
summer of 2008 the crisis got worse, and my
role gradually expanded, working on
interventions in some of the other banks –
Bradford & Bingley and the Icelandic banks that
collapsed as well as the recapitalisations of RBS
and Lloyds.
“It was a real crisis point – we were working
late into the night and every weekend for a
time. Subsequently, I was part of the leadership
team for the Asset Protection Scheme,
particularly working with Lloyds on a package of
support and negotiating pricing and state aid
clearance with their senior management.”
While a stressful period, Baker appreciated the
experience. “None of us were prepared for what
happened, because nothing similar had
happened before,” she says. “Treasury is now
much better prepared were we to face a serious
banking crisis again. We’ve got contingency
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

plans, and staff have
developed significant
expertise. In 2008 we
were dealing with the
unexpected and the
unknown. It was a very
demanding time – we
were designing and delivering interventions
under immense time pressure. It was a steep
learning curve for all of us. But it was a very
fulfilling time, working with a really good team
of people who were very motivated and
committed, going well beyond what would
normally be expected of them and doing an
amazing job.”

FRESH CHALLENGE
In 2010 it was time for a fresh challenge, with
the worst of the banking crisis over. “I was keen
to get out of Treasury for a while,” says Baker.
“So I went on secondment to the Scottish
Government, managing work on infrastructure
investment and capital planning and on business
engagement.” This gave Baker a chance to get
more involved in the detail of managing
spending and to experience different ways of
spring 2013

Interview

‘One of the things that I’m
keen to encourage is that we
do have a strong finance
network, and that we bring
people in different roles
across the department into
the financial community’

working. “It was good to get out of Whitehall
and get a different perspective. There is a more
collaborative culture in Scotland and a sense that
you need to bring everyone with you to get
things done. It was an interesting change from
Treasury and I worked with some great people.”
Not one to let the grass grow, Baker also turned
her attention to a more personal challenge –
getting the CIMA qualification.
“I had a bit more time, and I’d been thinking
about getting a qualification that dealt with
fiscal, financial and accounting issues. I thought
it would be useful to have, to help in my career,
and would consolidate my existing knowledge.”
Remarkably, Baker passed the qualification in
just two years. “I did it off my own bat. I found
the Strategic exams easier, because of my work
background, but the nitty-gritty, having to
produce a set of accounts, I found more
difficult.”
On a career level the CIMA qualification has
already opened doors for Baker –without it she
wouldn’t have landed her current role.
Furthermore, she believes it is important that
financial skills inform the Treasury’s work as both
an economic and finance ministry.
spring 2013

“On the economic side, if you look at some of
the things we are doing to promote growth, like
the housing measures announced in the Budget
or the infrastructure guarantee scheme, these
involve complex financial transactions, and you
need financial as well as economic expertise in
order to design those.”

ANNUAL BUSINESS PLANNING
Baker said while the Treasury has a very strong
network of economists, “traditionally the
finance ‘cadre’ has felt a little less well loved”.
She said: “One of the things that I’m keen to
encourage is that we do have a strong finance
network, and that we bring people in different
roles across the department into the financial
community.”
In her new role, Baker sits on the Treasury
Board and has just taken part in the
department’s annual business planning round.
She says: “I’ve been impressed with the quality
of information we now have and I think there
has been a huge improvement in recent years.
We now get finance and HR information on a
monthly basis as well as reporting to ERG
quarterly on a range of indicators, and we’re
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

setting up a Management Information Unit
within the corporate centre in Treasury to
streamline production of some of this
information. We’re getting better at it; I think
there’s been more focus from the top on the
importance of management information, from
successive Heads of the Government Finance
Profession, and also from Treasury ministers.”
She added that the current economic situation
has put a focus on improving management
information. “It was there before, but now
we’re all living with reduced resources, and a
reduced number of people. We need to make
sure we have the relevant information, so we
can understand the cost base and make
informed decisions about prioritisation.”
The GFP has a “really important role to play”
going forward, says Baker. “Finance
professionals have a key role to play in driving
efficiency and lots of parts of Government are
involved in quite complex transactions, whether
as part of procuring services or in supporting
business, so it’s really important to have the
financial skills to help advise on these areas.
“And things like the graduate training scheme
are vital in attracting good people into
Government. A lot of graduates looking at the
labour market will find the opportunity to get
more qualified while getting paid to do a job
very attractive.”
She said finance professionals now have much
more ownership of the financial management
improvement agenda than in the past. They are
the experts, she said, and finance directors and
the Finance Leadership Group in particular are
now responsible for setting the agenda. “It’s a
work in progress, but it is a much healthier
model than the Treasury telling people what to
do,” she said.
So how does Baker relish her role in
potentially bring challenge to the decisions of
the Treasury Board? “The Board generally acts in
a collaborative way – coming in, I’ve been
impressed,” she laughs. “It’s a good mix of
people with a Treasury background, and those
who have come from outside. It’s a good team.
All the Directors-General are aware of the fiscal
situation, so it’s not the sort of situation where
Continued on page 12
theGASETTE 11

Interview

Making experience count
Continued from page 11
you’re having to convince D-Gs of the need to
prioritise – we are all realistic about the resources
available.”
The financial challenges facing Civil Servants
affect both boardroom and shop floor, and
finance professionals across the piece are facing
a uniquely difficult set of circumstances. The
mantra remains ‘using taxpayers’ money wisely’,
so what skills and attributes are most of value?
“Flexibility is key. That’s probably always been
the case, but it’s only going to become more
important, especially for those just coming in [to
the Civil Service] and starting their careers. You
need to be ready for change; don’t think of
yourselves as a finance professional with a
narrow focus – think about where your finance
skills can add value. I’d encourage people do a
range of things early in their careers. Broaden
your horizons and get experience in different
roles or different departments before deciding to
specialise.
“You need to be able to think outside the box
and apply yourselves to different things. Those
who fill the senior positions in the future will be
those who have a range of experience and can
see the bigger strategic picture as well as
understanding the financial detail.”

‘I’d encourage people do
a range of things early in
their careers. Broaden your
horizons and get experience
in different roles’

On a personal level, Baker is adjusting to
working part-time for the first time in her career,
following the birth of her son in 2012.
“I work three days a week, which means I
have to prioritise more than I did when I worked
full time. I share management of the Corporate
Centre Group in Treasury with our HR Director

and I’m lucky to have a good team of Deputy
Directors and excellent administrative support, all
of which makes my job manageable. But I’m still
learning how to get everything done in the time
I have. It is a good discipline though – knowing
you have a limited time in the office each week
really focuses you on getting the important
things done. And spending four days a week
looking after a toddler helps me keep work in
perspective.”
Baker says she doesn’t have a long-term
career plan. “I like to take on different
challenges, but I honestly can’t say what I’ll be
doing in 10 years’ time,” she says. “At the
moment I’m just focused on doing my best in
this job.” What is certain is that she is enjoying
her new role, and is relishing the challenges it
will inevitably bring.

I need to find
pqjobs.co.uk now!

YOUR JOBS BOARD WWW.PQJOBS.CO.UK PQ jobs
12 theGASETTE

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

spring 2013

Security

KEEPING
SAFE AND

SOUND
CYBER SECURITY has entered the general public’s
consciousness following a number of high-profile
incidents affecting household name brands. At the
same time, the threat to economic prosperity posed
by cyber crime has pushed the topic up the
boardroom and political agendas. The bi-annual
PwC Global Economic Crime Survey published in
November 2011 saw 26% of all respondents having
had a cyber crime committed against their
organisation in the last 12 months. Eight per cent of
these respondents were public sector entities and
the trend is only increasing in terms of the average
cost and impact of breaches experienced by UK
government organisations.
This has brought cyber crime from a position of
statistical insignificance in previous surveys to third
place in terms of prevalence, eclipsed only by more
familiar sources of economic crime such as asset
misappropriation and accounting fraud.
While cyber security is a national issue that has
required the establishment of a specific programme,
there are also operational issues faced by
departments in implementing their own cyber
security functions. The annual UK Cyber Security
Breaches survey, that PwC prepares in conjunction
with the Department for Business Innovation and
Skills, highlights that UK government departments
currently spend 6% – 8% of IT budget on cyber
security with little or no increase in spend
spring 2013

Just how safe is your network?
Andrew Miller poses the question
– and quotes some frightening
statistics concerning cyber crime

anticipated this year. This puts government
departments behind the likes of financial services,
telecoms and manufacturing, which each budget
around 10% of IT budget for cyber security. To
compound this budgetary challenge, the PwC UK
Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2012 indicates that
80% of large organisations do not formally evaluate
the effectiveness of information security spend, so it
is unclear what value this level of spend represents.
Focus on cyber security as a departmental
operational responsibility within the public sector
has fallen off the radar, with the main National
Cyber Security Programme grabbing the attention.
Departments, though, are on the front line of the
security mission, handling significant quantities of
personal and sensitive information on a daily basis.
The drive for efficiencies through the Digital by
Default strategy and the clear demand for shifting
these services online from the public has steered the
public sector to become a highly digitally integrated
group of entities with much of its underlying
infrastructure or information manipulation
outsourced to private sector third parties.
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

Worryingly, our research indicates that
the most senior people within
organisations are not placing enough
emphasis on the importance of
managing the real threats that cyber
security presents, with nearly half of
Boards not reviewing the threat more
frequently than annually. Is cyber security
on your risk register? If not, why not?
As a result we recommend public
sector organisations should re-evaluate
the cyber security situation they are in by
asking the following questions:
• Organisation and governance: Do
you have an information risk-led
approach; effective governance for and
accountability to reflect cyber security’s
importance to the business?
• Threat intelligence: The cyber threat
landscape is changing at an alarming
rate. Do you have the capability to
acquire and act on threat intelligence?
• Security culture and behaviours: A
security conscious organisational culture,
accountability and associated behaviour
is one of the most important aspects of
improving security. How mature is this
culture in your organisation?
• Cyber incident response and crisis
management: Do you have the ability
to respond to inevitable incidents quickly
and effectively and in a way that protects
your reputation, brand and other assets?
• Monitoring and detection: As
perimeters become more porous,
attackers more sophisticated and
compromises inevitable, monitoring and
detection become necessary and,
arguably, the most effective defence. Is
effective monitoring in place?
• Strong defences and IT hygiene: Do
you have mature and embedded secure
configuration, patch management, antivirus defences, privilege management,
authentication, mobile security and
change management?

MITIGATE RISK
Having comprehensive answers to the
questions above, along with annual
measures of effectiveness, will help
ensure that the budgets available for
cyber security are spent wisely and
actually mitigate the risks the
organisation is experiencing.
Ask the Senior Information Risk Officer
what actions are under way to ensure
cyber security is dealt with and what
assurance can be provided to the board
that the organisation’s cyber risk is being
managed at this critical time.
• Andrew Miller is Director, Risk Assurance Services at
PwC. Contact andrew.d.miller@uk.pwc.com
theGASETTE 13

Values Versus Violence

Back to school
Mark Wilson, Financial Controller at the Identity and Passport Service,
talks about his time as a volunteer for the Values Versus Violence charity

which included finance roles in civil
engineering businesses, and the children
were fascinated by the size and scale of
the projects that I was involved in.
It was an very positive experience. The
children were so genuinely interested and
had so many questions. I have no
hesitation in recommending the
experience and would encourage others
to get involved in this very worthwhile
initiative.

WHAT THE CHILDREN SAID…

IN THE AUTUMN 2012 issue of Gasette,
Sharon Evans wrote about how the
Values Versus Violence scheme is helping
children understand money and how
valuing employment is important if we
are to prevent children being drawn into
crime. She explained how GFP volunteers
going into schools are welcomed by
teachers and highlighted the positive
reaction that volunteers can expect from
the children.
After an afternoon in school
volunteering to talk to children about my
profession I was impressed both by the
children’s enthusiasm and what a positive
experience it was. The visit was part of
the Value Versus Violence’s
missdorothy.com learning programme,
which teaches children to value
themselves and others. An important
part of the programme is meeting
outside visitors. As a first time volunteer I
wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I
was met at the door by three Dot Com
ambassadors, who greeted me
beautifully and made me feel very
comfortable.
It was the children’s job as Dot Com
ambassadors to tell me what they learn
from the missdorothy programme. The
programme helps children aged 7-11
14 theGASETTE

learn how to value themselves and how
to value others and so make better
choices and decisions. They learn about
the value of money as part of the
programme, and each child receives their
own journal in which they can write
about all the things that are important to
them.
Volunteers from GFP are helping
teachers with the value of money section
of the journal, and helping children
understand how money can keep you
safe or make you unsafe depending on
how you handle it. The idea is to help
prepare children for real life, and also to
give them an opportunity to hear from
adults other than their teacher about
what life is like and particularly what life
is like in the workplace.
The children were very interested in
facts and figures, and because I am from
the Identity and Passport Service they
wanted to know how many passports
were made and sent out each year, and
other key facts about the Agency. I talked
to the children about why I enjoyed
working in finance and how you can
move around to lots of different posts if
you have transferable accounting skills.
I also talked about my work before I
joined the Identity and Passport Service,

Sharon Evans and
Neil Evans of VVV
with children who
have participated in
the programme. The
photo was taken at
the GFP Training
Event at Brighton in
November

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

“It is great having people come into
lessons and talk to us,” said one of the
children. “It is really fun to hear from
other people, not just our teacher. That’s
the great thing about the missdorothy
programme, we get to talk to lots of
visitors and we look forward to it.”
Wendy Phillips, who is seconded to
support the programme in London and
funded by the Mayor’s Fund for London,
added: “The input from volunteers has
been great. The children love hearing
about the work they do and it helps
them make sense of their learning. They
understand why they are learning maths
and budgeting and how it fits into the
bigger picture of work. But you never
know what questions are going to be
asked. One year-three pupil who was
only seven put his hand up in a session
with a volunteer from HMRC and said:
‘What’s going on with Harry Redknapp’s
tax then?’ You couldn’t help laughing,
but the volunteer was very professional
and said unfortunately he couldn’t
discuss individual cases!”
GFP supports Values Versus Violence
UK (VVVUK), the organisation that
created the missdorothy.com
programme. There have been a number
of GFP volunteers support lessons, but
VVVUK is always looking for more
volunteers. You can volunteer to Adopt a
School and talk to the children or fund
raise for the programme, which costs £5
per child. Sir Gus O’Donnell and Ian
Watmore have been among the Civil
Servants who have supported the
learning programme and Geoff
Merchant a volunteer from Cabinet
Office, spent more than six years helping
the organisation create strategy for a
national roll-out of materials.
spring 2013

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Project Team of the Year The
Efficiency & Reform Division, the
Department for Education

Sustainability Award The Green
IT/Finance Team, HMRC

Personality of the Year
Martin Rowlands, Her Majesty’s Courts
& Tribunals Service
Innovation in Government The
Admin Consolidation Team, the
Department for Business, Innovation &
Skills
Government AAT of the Year
Katie Kibble, Ministry of Justice
PQ of the Year Bandhu Pratim Das,
the Skills Funding Agency
NQ of the Year Sherie McLean,
Department for Work & Pensions

16 theGASETTE

Unsung Hero
Dale Coxon, Ministry of Defence

Mentor of the Year
Stephanie Smith, OFSTED
Finance Team(s) of the Year
• The Corporate Finance & Military
Capability Team, Ministry of Defence
• The Finance, Planning & Performance
Team, Treasury Solicitor’s Department
Effective Leader of the Year
Amanda McFeeters, Head of
Accounting & Finance Unit, Home
Office
Head of Profession’s Award for
Lifetime Achievement
David Reeves, Ministry of Defence
GFP Special Award
Steve Freer, CEO CIPFA
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

Katie Kibble, left, the Government
AAT of the Year

spring 2013

GFP Awards 2012

BRIGHTON’S HILTON METROPOLE was the venue for
the 2012 GFP awards, which were co-hosted by
Sharon Evans and Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes. It was
another record year for entries and the list of winners
shows the great diversity of the GFP family.
Among those who came out on top was Katie
Kibble, the Government AAT of the Year. She works
for the Ministry of Justice, and at a local level gets
involved in planning and running award ceremonies,
so it was a very nice surprise to turn the tables on
her. For once she wasn’t asked to move furniture or
help with the washing-up afterwards!
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to David
Reeves, who has a long history of supporting the GFP
agenda both within his department (MoD) and
corporately at HM Treasury. David was also a strong
champion for the profession and for wider financial
training across Whitehall.
Occasionally the GFP also makes a special award to
someone who has made a significant personal
contribution to the profession. This year was such a
year and that special person was Steve Freer, CIPFA’s
CEO. He was both surprised and visibly moved by the
honour.
The GFP awards give departments a unique
opportunity to shine. The call for nominations for the
2013 awards will be coming soon, so keep an eye on
the website and, of course, keep reading Gasette
magazine. Just in case you forgot the website
address is www.thegfp-treasury.org.

David Reeves picks
up his Lifetime
Achievement award

Steve Freer with Head of the GFP Richard Douglas

Martin Rowlands of HM
Courts & Tribunals Service
hot-foots it to the stage

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spring 2013

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

theGASETTE 17

Volunteer to adopt a school
and talk to children about the
value of your profession.

You can make a difference in just one day.
Contact sharon@vvvuk.com

Women in finance

Where are
the women?
IN OUR GLOBALIZED world diversity is
seen not only as an ambition but crucial
to delivering more effective government
and increased economic competitiveness.
But while diverse teams are proven to
stimulate innovation and new ways of
problem solving, there is an increasing
acknowledgment that much work
remains to be done before governments
and business become truly representative
of the societies in which they operate
and serve.
Most governments are aware of the
benefits of promoting a more balanced
gender mix. Unfortunately, as in other
sectors, the gender distribution across
leadership roles in government is not
representative of the number of women
in the community, in the public sector
workforce and in higher education.
Ernst & Young’s survey of senior public
sector roles across G20 countries shows
that only four of them reached even
30% representation of women in
leadership roles, despite women
constituting a significant part of the
overall public sector workforce in many
countries.
Even in Canada, the country that
ranked number one in our Index, they
account for only 45% of its public sector
leaders. No other country comes close to

spring 2013

Ernst & Young’s latest survey reveals
the true picture of gender equality
across governments internationally
this figure, with the numbers of female
leaders in the following six countries in
the Index hovering at around one-third.
The United Kingdom appears in third
place in the Index with 35% of public
sector leadership roles filled by women,
reflecting the positive action that has
been taken over the past few decades.
However, women represent 66% of the
UK public workforce and so clearly, more
progress needs to be made to support
women advance their careers.
Lord [Gus] O’Donnell, a former UK
head of the Civil Service and Cabinet
Secretary, says the results from the UK
public sector are “good, but we could
and should do better”.
The public sector leadership results are
better than those for our elected
politicians. Although almost a third of
leaders in the public sector in the UK are
female, our numbers of female ministers
and women in Parliament are lower than
in Canada, Australia, South Africa,
Argentina, Germany, Mexico, France and
the US. “All political parties are on record
as saying they want to increase the

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

proportion of women in Parliament. But
it’s just not happening,” says Lord
O’Donnell.
So, what is the gender mix at the top
of the Government Finance Profession?
Actually, the position closely mirrors the
broader national landscape. In the top 17
spending departments, three out of nine
Director-Generals are women and three
out of eight Directors are women.
At Ernst & Young, we believe that
diverse teams can lead to better decisions
and results. Diversity of approaches,
points of view and thinking contributes
towards improved performance and in
the Government Finance Profession, we
need this now more than ever.
Governments around the world are
facing up to a rapidly changing world.
Shifting demographics, urbanization and
climate change, as well as the lingering
effects of the financial crisis, demand
great leaders at the decision-making
table. Unleashing the talent of women
can bring powerful positive change and
increases the likelihood of better
outcomes for us all.
Across the globe there are many
women leaders in the public sector who
have a great story to tell. We invite
Gassette’s women readers to join us at
www.ey.com/government/womenleaders
to be inspired by the lives and ideas of
some public sector women leaders who
have joined Ernst & Young in this global
initiative.
• Thanks to Ernst & Young for this article

It’s a man’s world. Or is it? Two
women from very different
backgrounds and aspirations
illuminate the world of
opportunity that finance opens
up to the gentle sex

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF THE finance world are
rarely flattering, possibly less so than ever before.
Stereotypes cast a long shadow – unscrupulous
bankers with their unfeasibly large bonuses or
dull grey men in suits squinting myopically at
yawn-inducing rows of figures. And yes, even in
these enlightened times, although the day of the
little woman meekly holding out her hand for
the housekeeping money is long gone, finance is
still viewed as a domain predominantly presided
over by men.
“Part of the problem is that women
themselves don’t realise how much they can
offer the accountancy world,” explained Abigail
Jones, FMDS trainee accountant at Ofsted.
“More men than women still go
into finance, possibly because
women see it as a profession for
people who don’t like people.
Nothing could be further than the
truth. Although areas such as
forensic accounting may be less
people-centred, in Business
Partnering, and others, excellent
interpersonal skills, in addition to
business acumen, are fundamental
to success.
“Many women don’t realise how Abigail Jones
valuable their soft skills are. I don’t
have the best analytical skills going,
but I can talk to people and that
really matters.”
Abigail argues that finance offers
anyone of either gender enormous
opportunities if they are “bright and
keen to learn.” Her own route into
the GFP highlights that aptitude,
rather than relevant experience, is
what opens this career door.
After taking a law degree at
university, she qualified as a solicitor Frances Carter
20 theGASETTE

and went to work in the USA for
two years before moving back to
the UK to work in a private practice
specialising in commercial property
law.
“That really was a very maledominated area,” she said. “Some
of the men were bombastic and
the few women who had made it
were aggressive, lacked empathy
and were reluctant to have other
women in the profession. When
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

the recession hit, I moved to Bristol and took a
temporary job at Ofsted in CIE in compliance
and then moved to the data team. When I saw
an ad for the Government Finance Profession
Scheme, I decided to apply. I’d always liked
working with figures and had enjoyed the tax
aspects of law.”
Abigail is working towards her ACCA
qualification, which she hopes to gain in 2015.
“I am the only female in my office, but there are
wonderfully supportive women in my team
based around the country, including our female
spring 2013

Training

Head of Finance, in Manchester, and the
dynamic is very positive” she said. “My current
male colleagues have the intellect of solicitors
without the ego and we all have the same
approach to work and interact well. But of
course we’re luckier in the Civil Service than in
many other industries – equality is a given.”
For Frances Carter, Audit Business Manager at
the Internal Audit Unit of the Department for
Education, getting started in her finance career
back in the 1980s was far more problematic.
After significant changes being made to her post
as a nursery nurse for a local authority, she
applied for a job as an Executive Officer with the
Civil Service and was told: “I’m really sorry, but
there are only openings in finance.”
The accountant Frances began working for
suggested that she also studied to become an
accountant, but she encountered her first barrier
when she applied to get on to the bursary
scheme.
“The then Head of Accounting Profession,
who was a woman, said that she didn’t know if
she would support my application as it was a lot
of money to train someone when there was a
chance I’d “go off and have babies” as soon as I
qualified,” she explained. “I must have
convinced her that I wouldn’t, but I did have to
sign an agreement that I would stay working
with the Department for a period of time after
qualifying, although that was probably true for
everyone. Perhaps she was just testing my
resolve... but I’m not convinced.”
Frances, who gained her ACCA qualification
through distance learning, is now part of the
management team in the Internal Audit Unit
and is confident that she has never been passed
over for promotion because she is a woman.
“I’ve taken a variety of jobs to widen my
experience and I tend to be motivated by interest
rather than a desire to rise in the ranks,” she
said. “Sometimes you just outgrow a job and it’s
time for the next challenge.
“Women are well represented in my
department – the Head of Internal Audit is a
woman and so is one of the deputies. The
Service is particularly good at allowing career
breaks and for women to come back on parttime basis. Of course it’s difficult to know
whether taking that option affects how far they
go in the organisation but it doesn’t seem to be
a problem in our department.”
Abigail and Frances are at opposite points in
their careers. While Frances contemplates the
prospect of retirement with some relish, Abigail
is tempering her aspirations with realism. “I tell
my husband that I want to be the next
Chancellor of the Exchequer,” she said. “But
that isn’t about to happen. It may sound a bit
clichéd, but I really want to use my skills to make
a difference in the world. Perhaps as the Head of
the NHS one day. Yep, that would do nicely.”

Training is the key
The NHS Foundation Trust is
a big believer in staff
development. Helen Rourke
shares her tips on training
finance staff of all skill levels
and abilities through a formal
qualification
THE NHS FOUNDATION Trust has supported a
significant number of finance staff through
formal training for a number of years. We are
strong believers in career development and
encourage all staff to participate in further
learning no matter what stage they are at in
their career.
Of the 80 staff that make up our finance
team, a large percentage are qualified through
AAT or another accountancy body. Many have
either completed or are completing their
training across Levels 2-4.
In 2011, we were approached by AAT to be
involved in a pilot for a Level 1 qualification
called AAT Access. We saw this as an
opportunity to develop those staff members
within our finance department who didn’t yet
have a qualification or the confidence to take
on Level 2. AAT Access is a basic introduction
to finance and accountancy and is suitable for
anyone regardless of age, knowledge or
experience. Essentially, it’s a ‘taster’ for the full
accounting qualification.
We nominated four staff members to be
involved in the pilot. Their ages ranged from
32-46 and all were from a management
accounting background. Some had not studied
for years and others were unsure of what the
course could offer them. But since completion,
all have been more enthusiastic towards their
career development and have progressed on to
Level 2.
Although it’s still early days, we’ve seen clear
results of our investment. Their attitudes to
training and development have changed
significantly and clear correlations between
their studies and the working environment are
apparent.

TOP TIPS TO TRAINING
FINANCE STAFF

1

Find the right qualification. It’s important
to identify the right qualification for your
staff members so that you can be sure both
you and they will get the most out of your
investment. Most accountancy bodies have a
‘skills test’ (such as the AAT Skillcheck) where

prospective students can test their knowledge
and identify an appropriate starting level.
Find the right training provider. The
way your training provider delivers the
course and supports your students will
ultimately determine their success. Together
with iCount Training, the NHS Foundation Trust
developed a model of study where students
attend classes one day per week at a
Lancashire Teaching Hospital site.
Find the right candidate. Identify staff
members who show potential and a keen
attitude for career development. You want to
be sure your investment is worthwhile in more
ways than one. Training those without formal
qualifications will not only produce better
skilled workers, but mentors for others to learn
from in the future.
Offer support. Keep the conversation
open so you’re aware of your staff
members’ progress and any obstacles they
face. A mentoring programme, using more
experienced staff members can offer direct
support and increase chances of success.
Evaluate success. In this economic
climate, it’s important that you demonstrate
your return on investment. Implement
evaluation measures from the beginning by
highlighting competencies across different
tasks so that you can evaluate outcomes,
demonstrate success and gather support for
future staff development programmes.

A CIMA PERSPECTIVE
Leadership teams must bring in more experts from the finance
profession who can analyse and exploit management information
IT IS GOOD NEWS that the debate on
how to improve Whitehall is gaining
momentum. However, although new
initiatives are to be applauded, it is
CIMA’s view that no substantial progress
will be made unless such initiatives are
driven by clear and concerted financial
leadership.
Last year, CIMA, the Institute for
Government and Deloitte joined forces to
produce a strategy that would lead to
better decision making and more
efficient government. This report,
Improving Decision Making in Whitehall,
focused on how to improve the use of
management information at the heart of
government. It showed that systemic
improvements in management
information would only be achieved
through increased demand for
management information by senior
decision makers. This, in turn, highlighted
the importance of financial leadership in
improving performance management at
the top of government departments.
CIMA and the Institute for
Government pursued this subject further
through business reference texts, surveys
and interviews, and our findings will be
published in the forthcoming report
Financial Leadership for Government.
The aim of this research is to provide a
structure for opening up the debate
about the role of financial leadership at
the centre of large, devolved
organisations and to support the
Government’s work in building ‘a much
stronger corporate leadership model’ as
set out in the Civil Service Reform Plan.
The new report makes some important
comparisons. Firstly, we looked at how
financial leadership in corporations
compares with the Whitehall model. We
then compared the UK central
government administration with those of
New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the
US in terms of how performance is
managed and how this relates to
financial leadership. Our research showed
that the role of the finance function in
supporting performance management is
weaker in Whitehall than in the private
22 theGASETTE

sector and, compared with
the other countries in our
study, this weakness is
unique to Whitehall.
It is also noteworthy that the UK is the
only country in our study where the
organisation responsible for expenditure
control (HM Treasury) does not take lead
responsibility for performance
management and, therefore, the Treasury
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

plays little role in providing performance
management support to the Head of the
Civil Service. Neither is it responsible for
generating any cross-government
information to underpin performance
management. There is currently no other
point at which either financial or nonfinancial information is brought together
to form a clear analytical overview of the
performance of departments. Some
interesting initiatives have been brought
into the equation – such as the Cabinet
Office’s Business Plans and the Quarterly
Data Summaries – but these have had
limited success so far.
On cost management, the Treasury
typically acts as a reviewer of other
departments’ work but its interest is
focused more around requests for
additional resources or as part of ad hoc
spending reviews. There is relatively little
systemic pressure on departments to
enhance their understanding of their
own cost drivers and no formal processes
of enhancing understanding of crossdepartmental cost drivers.
From a CIMA perspective,
departmental leadership teams must
bring in more experts from the finance
profession who can analyse and exploit
management information. This is
precisely the contribution management
accountants make in the best
businesses. They provide the right
information and analysis, derived
from both financial and non-financial
data, so that CEOs can decide how
best to drive businesses forward.
Management accountants have the
potential to become Whitehall’s
financial navigators.
CIMA’s view is that a central group
finance function and CFO is an
essential prerequisite for strengthening
the obvious structural weaknesses
within Government performance
management. This represents a
significant opportunity for the finance
profession and the Prime Minister must
implement this change as part of an
overall government strategy. The
resultant performance improvements will
not come overnight; we are at the start
of our journey, but there is no time to
waste.
spring 2013

Who helps finance leaders handle the pressure?
The demands on public sector finance leaders have never been greater. Deloitte understands
how the roles and responsibilities have changed significantly and become more complex.
Be in control under pressure, visit www.deloitte.co.uk

ÂŠ 2013 Deloitte LLP. All rights reserved.

Reading
between
the lines
budget 2013 analysis
in depth, practical guidance
on the budget to enable you to
give advice on the Front line

Download the free report at
www.tolley.co.uk/budget13

Financial management

ROOM

at the
The UK FACES tough decisions in the
coming decade. According to the Office
for National Statistics, public sector net
debt was £1,111.4 billion at the end of
December 2012, equivalent to 70.7% of
our country’s GDP. Combined with
current levels of economic growth, it is
now clear the Coalition’s debt and deficit
programme will take successive
parliaments to deliver.
We are also living longer as a society.
The UK’s population of 65s and over is
likely to double to 19 million by 2050.
This will mean extra demands on health
services, social care and pensions. Given
these trends decisions today, including
this summer’s Spending Review, will have
a profound effect on the public services
of tomorrow.
ICAEW is developing its thinking on
the financial skills and structures that are
needed to empower policymakers to
make these decisions. Managing
taxpayers money wisely is what our
members in the public sector do daily
and it is central to ICAEW’s public interest
mandate. We want to support this
further. The UK is already a global leader
in public sector transparency. HM
Treasury produces an annual set of
consolidated accounts (the Whole of
Government Accounts). The National
Audit Office scrutinises public spending
on behalf of Parliament and the Office
for Budget Responsibility provides
independent analysis on the state of
public finances.
Yet if we want to retain this position,
policymakers must pursue best practice
not only from other governments but
also the private sector. And while the
private sector is not without its faults,
spring 2013

TOP

Is there a role for a CFO at the top table
in government? ICAEW Chief Executive
Michael Izza believes there is
being different in fundamental ways
from the public sector, there are some
practices and structures that are worth
exploring.
This includes the Chief Financial Officer
(CFO) role and Group Finance structure.
While roles or structures alone are not a
panacea, the CFO and group finance
structure have a tradition of supporting
good financial management and
complex organisations. Most global
companies would not exist, far less
thrive, without a CFO operating
alongside the CEO within a rigorous
structure accountable to the board.
Regardless of whether an organisation
is in the private or the public sector, is a
business or government, financial
leadership and strong fiscal structures are
essential. As Downing Street recently
said: “Any major organisation would
expect and hope that the chief finance
officer worked very closely with the chief
executive.” In our current environment of
stretched public finances this is more
important than ever.
ICAEW believes we need a CFO at the
centre of government providing financial
leadership in ways that currently does not
happen. By setting this tone from the top
we believe you can equip the next
generation of Civil Servants in ways and
means that are a prerequisite for
managing our deficit and debt. Such a
transformation will require both Civil
Service reform and ministerial
commitment.
As a chartered accountant I believe

• Michael Izza is Chief
Executive of the ICAEW

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

that without change, the UK will
exacerbate an already difficult period of
economic instability and uncertainty. This
three-stage reform proposal can help
accelerate financial discipline across
Whitehall. We are calling on politicians
from all parties to:
• Transform the role of HM Treasury into
a more pro-active finance ministry. It
should take a more rigorous cost/benefit
analysis of policy delivery with regular
reviews and have an ability to speed up
or slow policy change.
• Create a Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
to head up this group finance function.
This CFO will report to HMT’s Permanent
Secretary and to the Chancellor/Chief
Secretary and, ultimately, to the Cabinet.
This new CFO would take overall
responsibility for the financial health of
government. The person is likely to have
experience of commercial group
structures as many current departmental
non-executive directors do.
• Finally, to empower finance directors
more generally across government
departments to communicate and equip
others in commercial skills. This will
enable the embedding of strong financial
disciplines and financial leadership across
a new generation of civil servants.
While fiscal transparency is central to
this task, information alone will not be
enough. Financial skills, an enabling
environment and pursuing best practice
is also necessary. Public sector financial
management is already changing and
ICAEW will continue to work with
government to help support commercial
skills. But more fundamental change now
needs to happen to ensure taxpayers
money is spent wisely in the future.
theGASETTE 25

Secondments

MORE TALES FROM THE

SHOP FLOOR

In the last issue of Gasette we spoke to Timothy Gall and Martin Mills
about their secondments at M&S. Here we catch up with their progress
SO HOW DID IT GO?
The secondments went really well. So
well, in fact, that Tim arranged for his
secondment to be extended by a further
three months. It has been a great
opportunity to see behind the scenes of
one of the UK’s largest and most popular
retailers. We’ve worked on some
interesting and challenging projects, had
exposure to a wide portfolio of M&S
learning and development courses, as
well as meeting some really nice people
and making new friends.

WHAT IS THE KEY THING THAT
YOU HAVE LEARNT?
It has been a great opportunity to
benchmark our skills and abilities against
those in the private sector. Finding out
that you can contribute and thrive in that
environment is a real boost to your
confidence, particularly when the
contrast is as extreme as the defence and
revenue sectors when compared to a
retail environment.
M&S is very good at giving its finance
staff learning opportunities and as such
we’ve had lots of exposure to their
training resources including specific
courses on things like ‘commercial
negotiations’. They have a learning week
each quarter with around 15 sessions,
many run in-house. They also have a
quarterly finance conference with input
from a keynote speaker to help them
understand the strategic issues for the
business.

HOW WILL THE SECONDMENT
BENEFIT YOUR DEPARTMENT
AND THE WIDER GOVERNMENT
FINANCE PROFESSION?
Our experience has shown that there’s
undoubtedly a lot that the GFP can learn
from M&S, including the commercial
issues of running a large, fast-paced
organisation, which is geographically
widespread and investing £750m into
capital and IT expenditure.
Understanding the M&S financial
statements, key performance measures
and projects and how the business
operates internally in order to provide a
big picture understanding of the business
is something we can both take back into
our roles within government.
We’ve also had beneficial exposure to
the importance of an engaged
workforce, appropriate structures and
strong learning and development
programmes.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND IT
TO OTHERS?
We’ve also learnt from the specific
project we’ve been involved in. We don’t
have issues with contactless payments in
the MoD and revenue isn’t a key part of
our business, but many of the skills and
techniques I’ve learned are equally
applicable in either sector.

HOW WILL THE SECONDMENT
HELP YOUR CAREER?
It has given us the opportunity for both
personal and professional development.
We’ve learnt new skills, broadened our
work experience and improved our
competencies, particularly in areas such
as Communication and Influencing
stakeholders. Clearly this means we have
more to offer an employer than we did
before the secondment and therefore we
need to ensure we make the most of the
things we have learned in our future
career.

Yes, this is a great opportunity to gain
experience and challenge yourself in a
way, which you’d be unlikely to achieve
within the Civil Service. It clearly has
benefits for us as individuals, M&S and
the GFP as a whole, and participating in
the secondment presents a unique
opportunity for personal and professional
development. Many people only manage
a minimal amount of CPD, but the
secondment offers six months worth of
exposure to new skills, tools and
techniques.
In addition to this, the UK retail sector
is facing some major challenges, with
many brands disappearing from our high
streets.
The secondment offers a ‘behind the
scenes’ chance to see how one of the
UK’s largest retailers is adapting to the
changing environment, and what it is
doing at a strategic level.

Meet Tim and Martin

Timothy Gall ACMA CGMA Tim joined the MOD in 2007 as the
Finance Director for the Defence Storage & Distribution Agency
(DSDA), where he played a key part in the successful delivery of a
£441m transformation programme. Other roles include Head of
Corporate Services and Head of Strategy. Prior to joining the MOD,
Tim worked in the private sector and for the Audit Commission.
Martin Mills MBA ACMA CGMA Martin joined HRMC in 1977 and is
currently working as Financial Controller, Personal Tax. He has held
numerous high-level finance and strategy roles within HRMC and
has contributed extensively to the financial development of a
department undergoing great organisational change.
26 theGASETTE

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

spring 2013

widen your
horizons

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Trainee focus

discipline and is best done in a spare
lecture room or a quiet room at work.
Does your concentration wane as
fatigue sets in? Ask yourself, would
you drive for over three hours without a
break? After several hours with no pause
there is a good chance your brain will start
to drift. I suggest not fighting this and see
it as an opportunity to take a couple of
minutes off every hour.
Do you speed up as the exam goes
on? The next time you hear an
invigilator announce, “You have one hour
remaining”, notice the trap other
candidates fall into as the scribbles around
you become frantic. Do not make an
adjustment to your speed on hearing this,
try to maintain a constant as best as you
can. Watching my speed took practise;
many times I submitted a script that
started neat and presentable and finished
rushed. Get used to a pace and tailor it to
the structure of the examination.
Are you always running out of
page space and line spaces? In
reporting papers that required pro forma
layouts I was forever running out of lines
to stick in a balance sheet or having to
take the bottom bit of a statement
overleaf. This drove me to distraction
because at work I wouldn’t dream of
doing anything so shabby! The main thing
that helped me with this was my choice of
stationery. I stopped using those free blank
A4 pads colleges give out in favour of
something that represented what I would
be given in the exam hall. If this means
you going out and obtaining a specimen
answer book, believe me, it is worth it,
because throughout question practise you
will be getting into the habit of making life
easy for you – and, of course, the marker?
Are you absorbing what your
lecturer says or are you just
focused on the notes they are making
on their tablet? This will not be for
everyone but consider the number of
hours you spend in a lecture room with
tutors who are the world experts on the
paper you are about to sit. It is a woolly
term but try to think of them in a holistic
way and beyond the subject matter they
are teaching you. What is the first thing
they do when they approach a question?
What good habits do they have when
tackling tough subject matter? Are they
repeating themselves and driving you
crazy? If they are then this is deliberate,
and the more of these techniques you can
pick up either consciously or otherwise
can only be a good thing.

5

6

DON’T BE A

MUPPET!

THIS ARTICLE is intended not for highfliers but for the student who works very
hard indeed to achieve a pass – that was
me. Many of you will pass by sheer
tenacity, grafting hard for those extra
marks. I qualified by making the best of
what I had, and ensured that I performed
on the day. I used a few ‘home-made’
techniques – here they are.
Do you get in a muddle the day
before an exam? Think about resting
up the day before an exam. Your brain will
have absorbed your mnemonics and exam
techniques and will not be taking in new
data because pre-exam nerves will simply
stop the stream of data in its tracks. A
brain on ‘red alert’ is irritable, irrational
and not interested in knowledge. A good
revision plan should have meant there
were no gaps or surprises but if you do
find a small area you missed there is a
danger you will cram it in, to the
detriment of all of your structured work in
the weeks before. Use this day for gentle
reflection.
Do you feel like just not showing
up on the day? A number of times I
felt like not turning up for an exam
because I had convinced myself I would
open the paper and have to sit quietly for
three hours, unable to answer any of the
questions. In the 11 papers I sat this never

1

2

28 theGASETTE

Mathew Dawson offers a personal
perspective on what helped get him
through his accountancy exams

happened. It is amazing how your mind
adjusts when something is unavoidable
and there is no distraction – something
inside told me to get cracking.
Do your nerves hit a crescendo in
the last minutes before you are
called into the exam hall? If you see
anyone you know at the exam run away –
no good will come out of conversation.
The chances are they aren’t your real
friends, so don’t worry about hurting their
feelings! Crucially, avoid people gathered
around one of those pocket books,
quizzing each other. Should you stumble
on this put your fingers in your ears, start
singing loudly and leave the room.
Has your stamina caused
problems? My final exam was a
financial reporting paper with unparalleled
time pressure. I failed it by a couple of
marks because I flagged before the end.
To improve my stamina I did something
unusual and devised two four-hour mocks
from past paper questions. While this was
about as much fun as root canal
treatment it did work in that a three-hour
paper was suddenly not so daunting. A
word of warning though: this needs

3

4

http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

7

8

• Mathew Dawson is a principal accountant at
Warwickshire County Council
spring 2013

Personal development

When the going
gets tough...
You need to be resilient to
thrive in today’s highpressured work environment.
CIPFA’s Manj Kalar outlines
how you can develop this
important characteristic

THE PUBLIC SECTOR is an uncomfortable place
to be working at the moment: no pay rise for
years, higher pension contributions, more work,
fewer people to share the burden – and the
signs are that it is going to continue. And that’s
before we read all the negative press coverage!
Working in this environment is tough, no
doubt about it. However, it is possible to not
only survive but positively thrive. There are
people who walk around seemingly unscathed
by disasters that unfold; so what characteristics
do they have that they remain untouched by all
the changes the rest of us are experiencing? In
short, they have developed personal resilience.
But don’t fear, this is not a secret shared with a
select few – all of us can acquire this. In today’s
ever-changing environment we all need the skills
to be able to bounce back after all that life has
to offer. So what are these? And more
importantly, how do you get them?
A resilient person has seven attributes:
• Emotional regulation – you won’t see them
lose their rag.
• Impulse control – linked to the above they
will not act on impulse.
• Optimism – they tend to be naturally
optimistic and look on any change as positive,
seeking to identify the opportunities created.
• Causal analysis – they are likely to have a
greater awareness of why things are happening
and not take this personally. If the division is shut
down and they are made redundant, they will
rationally accept the reason, not seeing it as a
reflection on their ability.
• Empathy – they are empathetic, able to
understand what others are experiencing and
where they are on the change curve.
spring 2013

working. As Einstein said: “Insanity is
• Self-efficacing.
doing the same thing over and over
• Able to use their networks to reach
again and expecting different results.”
out.
6. Try to understand your own
But these characteristics can be
experiences We are all shaped by our
yours too. Follow these top 10 tips:
experiences. How we replay these in
1. Develop connections/supportive
our minds will impact on our thinking
relationships Remember the old
today. So it is worth reflecting on the
adage, a problem shared is a problem
past to help us understand our reaction
halved? A resilient person will have a
network of people to help them
• Manj Kalar is Technical to what is happening today.
7. Develop a positive view about
understand what is happening and see Manager – Central
Government and
yourself This is really important. Many
things from a different perspective.
Financial Management,
of us walk around with a fairground
2. Accept some crises/change is
CIPFA
‘house of mirrors’ view of ourselves. As
outside our control We are all
difficult as it is, give yourself a break. Develop a
mortals, although one wonders with some
positive view of yourself; there are plenty of
people. Accept that not everything is in your
people putting us down, without the inner voice
sphere of influence; change will happen.
adding to the critics.
Remember you have a choice as to how you
8. Try to take a longer-term perspective
react to change. So choose what will upset you
When something terrible happens, for instance
and how you will react.
redundancy, take the long view and put it into
3. Accept that change is part of life Change
perspective. It may seem devastating now, but it
is the only constant. Once we embrace this
may lead to new opportunities such as working
concept life becomes a whole lot easier.
part time, a career change or following your
Resistance is futile, so why waste precious
dream to be your own boss. So when things
energy trying to cling on to the past; move
happen, try to move past the immediate impact
forward and embrace the changes.
4. Set some realistic goals Change provides an and think longer term.
9. Stay hopeful and optimistic Changing your
opportunity to reflect and re-establish what is
outlook will reap huge benefits; people who see
important. Setting goals helps in actively
the glass half-full always seem to have all the
planning and thinking positively for the future.
luck. Their positive attitude enables them to view
Visualise it and you’ll make it happen.
what is happening in a positive light.
5. Be decisive Taking action is a great way to
10. Look after yourself Be kind to yourself and
develop resilience. Resilient people are usually
look after yourself; work but rest and play too.
action-oriented. It often doesn’t matter what
You need some down time. Then you’ll be ready
you decide to do; taking some action will move
for all the challenges and changes promised in
you forward. Resilient people are also prepared
the huge reform agenda.
to try new things if what they’re doing isn’t
http://www.thegfp-treasury.org

theGASETTE 29

Gasette quiz extravaganza

The puzzles here are just for fun – and to stretch
the old grey matter. But the great Gasette Picture
Anagram (below) gives you the chance to win a
£25 Marks & Spencer voucher!
Odd one out

Number’s up

Which of the numbers is the odd one
out?

What number should appear next in this
sequence?
309
416
525
636
?

263
594
331

188

771

242
393

To the letter
When each of the following words is
rearranged, one of them can be used to
prefix all the others, making six longer
words. What are they?
OHM
FUEL
GUIDE
NET
RITE
AFT
MIST

482

Thirsty work
In a busy hour a coffee shop sold three
times as many Cappuccinos as Espressos.
24 more people had Americano than
had Espresso and three less people had
Latte than had Americano. 36 people
ordered Latte, how many ordered each
of the other three coffees?

Playing catch up
A coach and a car set off from the same
point to travel the same journey. The
coach sets off five minutes before the car.
If the coach travels at 75km/h and the
car travels at 80km/h, how many
kilometres from the starting point will the
two vehicles draw level?

Do the math
Assume you are using a basic calculator and press the numbers in the order shown,
replacing each question mark with a mathematical sign. Plus, minus, multiply and
divide can each be used once only. In which order should they be used to score 1?

2

?

4

?

5

?

6

?

9

=

9

6

7

3

4

1

5

9

2

8

1

9

5

8

2

6

4

7

3

2

8

4

7

3

9

1

6

5

4

1

9

5

7

3

2

8

6

8

3

6

2

9

1

5

4

7

7

5

2

6

8

4

3

9

1

9

4

8

1

5

7

6

3

2

5

6

7

3

4

2

8

1

9

3

2

1

9

6

8

7

5

4

Walk on by
A man walks
south for 3
miles. Then
west for 3 miles,
then north for 2
miles, then east
for 1 mile, then
north for 1 mile
In which
direction and for
how far should
he walk to
return to his
starting point?

Get stuck into our our ever-popular
sudoku. Below is the solution to the
puzzle that appeared in Gasette 110,
Autumn 2012

4 3

1 7 9

2 5 6

8

6 9

2 8 5

4 1 3

7

7 5

8 6 1

3 9 2

4

1 8

3 9 2

7 6 4

5

2 4

5 1 3

6 7 8

9

9 6

7 5 4

8 3 1

2

5 2

9 3 8

1 4 7

6

8 1

6 4 7

9 2 5

3

3 7

4 2 6

5 8 9

1

WIN
a £25
M&S

voucher

To find the mystery word in our Gasette Picture Anagram simply take the initial letter from the person’s surname and
re-arrange to find a nine-letter word (clue: these are important people). You can find the answers to all the puzzles here (except the
Gasette Picture Anagram) on the GFP website (www.thegfp-treasury.org).
• EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS TO:THEGFP@HMTREASURY.GSI.GOV.UK, BY 30 APRIL 2013

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